Mr. Thomas Tom Michael Barton

Thomas Michael Barton was born April 22, 1955 in Mineola, NY. Tom was the youngest of five children. He had one sister, Sheila, and three brothers, Frank, Dennis, and Christopher. His parents were Frank and Alice Barton.

Tom grew up on the New Jersey Shore, in the city of Manasquan. Baseball and basketball were among his favorite pastimes. He attended Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, NJ.

In 1973 he joined the United States Army. He was stationed in El Paso, Texas, and Okinawa, Japan. He finished his service in 1976.

After the Army, Tom attended Monmouth University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in accounting in 1981. His graduate studies took him to Georgia State University where he earned his MPA in 1983, and his PhD in Accounting in 1986.

Tom passed his Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, and Certified Internal Auditor exams with outstanding scores. His scores were among the highest in the nation, and he received an award for his scores on all three exams.

After graduation, Thomas took a faculty position at the University of Georgia in 1987. He won the faculty member of the year award there. In 1989 he left Georgia and became a faculty member at the University of Baltimore. There he met his wife, a fellow professor, Susan Lynn. He left University of Baltimore in 1992.

Thomas became a loving and dedicated stepfather to Susan's daughter, Katherine. Tom and Susan were married in 1996. Tom began a new career in social science research in 1995 when he took a position at Sky Alland. In 1997 he started at Mathematica Policy Research, where he worked for ten years. At Mathematica, Tom had the opportunity to travel around the county performing research site visits.

Tom had a wonderful sense of humor and a broad range of knowledge. He loved watching sports, especially the NFL and college basketball. He read the newspaper everyday, and was well versed in current events. He had a gentle soul, and loved to care for his cats.

Thomas Michael Barton passed away April 9, 2011 in Columbia, MD. He is survived by his wife Susan, step daughter Katherine, her husband Peter, and three grandchildren: Isis, Luna, and Thor.

Arrangements under the direction of Witzke Funeral Homes Inc., Columbia, MD.